Token dispenser



Get. 16, 1956 P. J. SHOUGH TOKEN DISPENSER Filed Oct. 12, 1953 INVENTOR.PHILIP J. SHOUGH TOKEN DISPENSER Philip J. Shough, New York, N. Y.Application October 12, 1953, Serial No. 385,538

1 Claim. (Cl. 133-5) This invention relates to token dispensers, andmore particularly to a small pocket-size dispenser having a magazinecapable of holding and storing a plurality of tokens and an easilymanipulated release actuator which permits the tokens to be dischargedfrom the magazines one at a time.

The magazine or holder of the present invention is preferably made of atransparent or semi-transparent material so that the number of tokenscontained therein can be quickly ascertained. The magazine is providedwith an opening or slot therein through which the tokens are introducedinto the magazine for storage and a dis charge opening through whichthey are released as they are needed. The tokens are adapted to belocked within the magazine and their accidental release prevented by anescapement device which normally partially blocks the discharge opening,however, upon operation of the release actuator the escapement not onlyurges the token in position for release toward the discharge opening butalso serves to prevent the succeeding token from being released.

If preferred, the tokens may be released directly into a token receivingslot, such as, for example, the slot of a turnstile. For this purpose,the outer edge or surface of the discharge opening is designed so thatit can be placed in close abutting contact with the token slot, and whenthe magazine is held in this position, the magazine channel leading tothe discharge opening is disposed in a downward direction, so that thetoken will drop into the slot, released by gravity. The token next inline, however, will be retained within the magazine unless the releaseactuator is operated a second time, to prevent more than one token frombeing released at a time.

For a complete understanding of the present invention, reference may behad to the detailed description which follows, and to the accompanyingdrawing in which:

Figure l is a side view of the present invention with the releaseactuator in operated position to effect the release of a token into atoken receiving slot, illustrating also the manner in which thesucceeding token is retained within the magazine and prevented fromrelease;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 with the cover removed, showingthe release actuator in the normal inoperative position;

Figure 3 is a bottom edge view of the present invention, looking up atit when it is in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a cross-section view taken substantially along the line 4 4of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 5 is a cross-section view taken along the line 55, looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, the token dispenser of the present inventioncomprises essentially a flat holder or container having a pair ofparallel, spacially separated, oval-shaped walls or covers 10, and anescapement actuator 11 pivotally mounted between the walls. The interiorof the holder is provided with a U-shaped chan- States Patent 02,766,763 Fatented Oct. 16, 1956 nel or magazine which is formed betweena U-curved outer guide 13 and a straight center dividing guide 14. Theguide 13 is provided with a projecting lip 13a at the discharge end ofthe magazine. The other end of the magazine is closed by a curved orrounded connection 15 which is adjacent to an opening 27 through whichthe tokens may be introduced.

The open or discharge end of the magazine is formed between theabove-described lip portion 13a and a cam surface 16 formed integrallywith the actuator 11. The cam surface 16 is curved in concave fashion toproduce forward and rearward projections 16a, 16b, respectively, thespecific functions of which will be described more fully below.

The actuator 11 is pivotally mounted between the side walls lit, 10' bya connecting rivet 17. The actuator 11 has a long actuating arm having araised hump portion 18 at the end thereof, which hump projects beyondthe edges of the walls Hi, 10', so that it can be easily depressed by afinger.

The actuator 11 is under the constant pressure of a small bent spring 19which is accommodated within a cavity between the side walls it), 10',and acts against the back of the operating arm of the actuator. Thespring is retained within the cavity by 8. lug 20 at the extreme end ofthe arm. The spring 19 normally urges the actuator in acounter-clockwise position, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, to a positiondetermined by the engagement of the arm 21 of the actuator with thebanking surface 22, the position of the actuator represented in Fig. 2.In this normal position of the actuator, the forward projection 16a ofthe cam 16 blocks the discharge end of the magazine to retain the tokenstherein. When the raised handle or hump portion 18 is depressed againstthe action of the spring, the entire actuator 11 is pivoted so that theforward channel blocking projection 16a is retracted out of the way.This pivotal movement of the actuator 11 also moves the rearwardprojection 1612 into channel blocking position to prevent the accidentaldischarge of one or more succeeding tokens, and, at the same time, theprojection 1611 may be instrumental in dislodging the token in positionfor release in the event it becomes stuck in the discharge opening.Incidentally, a reinforcing strip 23 interposed between the Walls 10,It) above the pivotal actuator serves as a banking surface for theactuator in the depressed or operated position.

The tokens, designated in the drawing by the reference character a, maybe introduced one at a time into the magazine by forcing them throughthe opening 27. The tokens also may be introduced into the magazine byforcing them through the discharge opening one at a time. if the tokendispenser is held in the hand in such a way that the actuator ordischarge opening is at the top, the tokens introduced through thedischarge opening will be guided between the walls of the channelforming guides 13, 14, and will fall to the bottom by gravity. As thetokens are introduced, they will force the other tokens within themagazine around the U-shaped portion of the magazine until thefirst-introduced token engages the closed end of the magazine. Thespring 19 is provided with a lip which is resiliently flexible to permitthe token to be introduced into the opening 27, but extends across partof the opening to prevent a token from accidentally falling out.

The manner of releasing the tokens from the present token dispenser isillustrated in Fig. 1. With the token dispenser held in the mannershown, the tokens in the lower leg of the channel will fall by gravityto the dis charge end thereof. With the actuator 11 in the normalposition, the leading token will be retained within the channel by theforward projection 16a of the cam surface 16. When the release of thetoken is desired, the operating arm 18 of the actuator may be depressed,and the pivotal movement of the actuator will move the blockingprojection 16a to inoperative position to permit the release of theleading token in the magazine. At the same time, however, the rearwardprojection 1617 will be pivoted to operative position to block thechannel and to prevent the accidental release of succeeding tokens. Thisposition of the actuator 11 and the projection 16b is represented inFigure 1.

It is immaterial to the present invention Whether the forward projection16:: of the cam surface 16 be designed in such a manner as to permit thecomplete release of the token from the dispenser or to retain the tokenwithin the channel, although permitting a substantial portion of theleading edge to project beyond the opening so that it may be removedwith the fingers. In the case of the former, however, the tokens may bereleased directly into a token receiving slot 24, such as, for example,the token receiving slot of a turnstile. The fiat, straight edges 25 ofthe walls 10, 10 at the discharge opening may be placed in closeabutting contact with the slot 24.

Although the present invention makes a convenient pocket piece forstoring and dispensing special tokens, apart from other coins which theuser may have in his pocket, the term as used herein is intended toinclude coins and tokens in general. The size of the magazine channeland discharge opening can, of course, be made to accommodate coins andtokens of any desired size.

The present invention has been shown in a single preferred form and byWay of example only, and obviously many modifications and variations maybe made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. Itis to be understood, therefore, that the present invention is not to belimited to any specified form or embodiment unless such limitations arespecified in the appended claim.

I claim:

A pocket-size token dispenser comprising a magazine for storing thetokens, said magazine having a discharge opening formed by substantiallystraight edges to permit the discharge opening to be placed in abuttingcontact with a coin slot, and a pivotal spring biased actuator, saidactuator including a pair of projections and an operating arm, one ofthe projections normally blocking the discharge opening of the magazineto prevent the release of a token therefrom, the other of theprojections being normally disposed in an inoperative position, and thecontour of the actuator intermediate the projections engaging theperiphery of the token in position for release to permit a portion ofthe token to project beyond the straight edges defining the dischargeopening to facilitate the insertion of the token in a coin slot, themovement of the operating arm of the actuator pivoting thefirst-mentioned projection out of the Way of the token in position forrelease and causing the second-mentioned projection to follow behind thetoken to be released, blocking the discharge opening to prevent therelease of a succeeding token.

References Cited in the file-of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS575,715 Hertzberg Jan. 26, 1897 870,108 Kowastch Nov. 5, 1907 1,414,845Wallenstein May 2, 1922 1,464,586 Reid Aug. 14, 1923 2,111,832 BauerMar. 22, 1938 2,210,875 Bauer Aug. 13, 1940 2,380,194 Sharp July 10,1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 110,640 Germany May 15, 1900

